Datuk Tan Lian Hoe joining the children for a singalong at the Kemas kindergarten.

 

GERIK: Datuk Tan Lian Hoe was part of a ding-dong shuffle in Barisan Nasional before finally being slotted in Gerik, a seat held for 50 years by Umno. This, too, caused some internal headaches.

Tan, head of Wanita Gerakan is the first non-Malay candidate to contest in the constituency, which for 50 years has been continuously serviced by Umno.

The New Straits Times follows her on a typical day of campaigning.

8.35am: Wholesale market

Tan, joined by about 20 BN workers, meets sundry traders. She introduces herself to the owners and their customers.
She is met by a group of Umno members from the Bukit Gantang division who are here to assist her with campaigning.

The group, now about 30-strong, then walks to each stall where Tan again goes through the routine of introducing herself.

10.20am: BN election operations centre

After the morning round ends, Tan rushes to the centre to present a report on her campaign.

"As usual, two or three did not return my smiles. That is expected. On the whole, more people can now easily recognise me and many of them have come forward to greet me," she tells the divisional BN component leaders present.

10.45am: Gerakan election operations centre

As soon as Tan leaves the BN centre with her two assistants, her car almost crashes into a Nissan Sunny making an illegal U-turn. Fortunately, her driver swerves in time.

Tan changes into a baju kurung for her next assignment.

11.30am: Taman Permata, Base Camp

On the way to the opening of a new building for a Kemas kindergarten, Tan again narrowly avoids colliding with a taxi.

Tan meets the kindergarten teachers and mingles with the children, singing, clapping and bantering with them. It is the most enjoyable part of the campaign so far.

1pm: Town centre

It's lunch time. Tan and her team rush to the town centre to meet government servants out for lunch. As she moves from table to table, it is quite interesting to observe that the women like her. Many stand up to greet her and have a chat.

She then returns to the Gerakan operation centre where she receives a head and back massage from a party worker.

9pm: Ceramah in kampung.

The rain continues to pour but Tan, undaunted, keeps moving from one village to another, meeting voters and giving speeches urging villagers to continue supporting BN despite the change to a non-Umno candidate.

"This arrangement is only for one term. What is important is that each and all of us support BN irrespective of who is fielded by the party.

"This has been a BN stronghold for the last 50 years and there is nothing to stop you (the voters) from keeping the spirit going for another 50 years," she says to cheers and shouts of "Hidup BN".

1am: Calls it a day. Arrives back at her room at the Gerik resthouse.

50 years of lrgacy to uphold

FOR 50 years, the Gerik parliamentary constituency has been held by Umno.

Of the 25,739 voters, 72 per cent are Malays, Chinese accounting for 18.2 per cent and Indians 4.3 per cent.

In 2004, BN’s Datuk Dr Wan Hashim Wan Teh defeated his Pas opponent with a majority of 8,389.

The Gerik constituency is made up of two state seats, Pengkalan Hulu which will be contested by Perak BN chief Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali and Temenggor, which will be contested by Datuk Hasbullah Osman.

BN’s Datuk Tan Lian Hoe will be challenged by Pas’ Mohd Noor Abdul Rahman while Tajol and Hasbullah will face Lee Sing Long and Moon Akau of PKR respectively.